


Rose's Reason

by zopponde



Series: Tiny standalone fics [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Terminal Illnesses, Triple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 14:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11465736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zopponde/pseuds/zopponde
Summary: Amethyst realizes she never actually understood death when she faces the inevitable consequence of a relationship with a human.





	Rose's Reason

The dignified laugh lines of Vidalia’s face deepened into wrinkles over years. Amethyst knew enough about humans to know that was how humans aged, but now Vidalia had a cane too. “What’s that for?”

“Walking,” Vidalia said. “Keeps me steady on my feet.”

“But you were always steady before.” Except when she danced, throwing her weight to the beat, her face lined with makeup and passionate laughter. Now her lines showed where skin folded, sagging until it doubled onto itself.

Vidalia shrugged. “Part of getting old. It’s better than the alternative.” She laughed.

It was funny until Vidalia got sick.

 

* * *

 

Rose once said that humans have “souls,” which go to a better place or a worse place or something. It seemed confusing and not important enough for Amethyst to remember back then, so now she asked Greg about souls.

“It’s sort of like your personality and memories together,” Greg said, when Amethyst asked loud enough. “I don’t think Vidalia really believes it, though.”

“So a soul is like a gem? Could we bubble Vidalia and keep her safe?”

Greg shook his head. “It’s tied to the body. When the body fails... the soul goes somewhere else. You can’t stop it.”

 

* * *

 

Gems didn’t have souls, so they didn’t go anywhere. Even when shattered, they stayed, disjointed memories confined to shards, reaching desperately for the lost context of the gem before death.

Amethyst heard Vidalia tell her kids that her soul would stay with them. In hospice, Vidalia told Amethyst that death wasn’t so bad because she would see her parents again. “Or that’s what they always said. I never believed them,” Vidalia admitted. “But lately, sometimes I can almost hear them. Maybe I’ll see them soon.” She smiled.

For the first time, Amethyst knew why Rose wanted to be a human.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! TBH this was halfway ventfic so if anyone liked it at all then it's already gone beyond its purpose.
> 
> http://seerofbread.tumblr.com/support


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